The present invention relates to a slide mount for mounting film transparencies from a photographic film web to prepare a photographic slide. In particular the present invention allows for plastic lenses to be added to the photographic slide after it has been assembled.
Photographic film transparencies are generally severed from a photographic film web and mounted in individual slide mounts to prepare photographic slides. The photographic image of the prepared photographic slide is then viewed in cooperation with a slide projector or other visualizing means.
Plastic slide mounts, such as the Pakon slide mount sold by Pakon, Inc., are generally formed of first and second plastic frame portions connected along an outer border to form a pocket therebetween. The slide mount includes a central aperture defined by film windows formed in each of the first and second frame portions. Further, the slide mount includes a slit along the outer border which defines an insertion opening through which a photographic film transparency can be inserted into a pocket between the first and second frame portions, creating a photographic slide.
A photographic slide is susceptible to several events that can adversely affect its quality. Fingerprints or other debris can mark or scratch the film as a result of handling. In addition, when exposed to the heat of a slide projector, the film may expand and buckle, causing the projected image to go out of focus.
In response to the adverse conditions listed above, the slide mounting industry has come up with glass slide mounts. Such glass slide mounts protect the film from excessive heat and serve to keep the film flat and thus the projected image in focus. In addition, glass slide mounts protect the film from fingerprints or other debris that could mark or destroy the film. A major problem with glass film mounts, however, has been that they are expensive and very slow to assemble. At present, glass lenses are added to a slide mount by hand. Another problem is assuring the film and mount are cleaned before the glass lenses are added to the slide mount so that dust or other particles do not get trapped between the film and lenses.
Thus there has been a continuing need for a slide mount system that manifests the benefits of glass mounts, i.e., holding the film flat when exposed to heat and protecting the film from fingerprints and other debris, while at the same time allowing for assembly in an inexpensive, quick manner that allows for the film and slide mount to be cleaned before the lenses are added.